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GGeneral area is a new term that replaced 'through the green' down here in Australia, this area covers everything except tee, bunkers,penalty area and green. Assuming it's the same in the US? So waste areas would fall under penalty areas? And would the same relief procedures apply?

Yes it's the same for US, but no... waste bunkers would be in the general area, so the restrictions for penalty areas would not apply.

run of the mill driver with stock shaft
a couple of outdated hybrids
shovel-ier shovels
wedges from same shovel company
some putter with a dead insert and
a hideous grip

Nope. You can now ground your club in a water hazard, you can inadvertently touch the sand and remove loose impediments in a bunker, but you still can't ground your club in a bunker

2019 Rule: Under Rule 17:

There will no longer be any special restrictions when a ball is in a “penalty area” (the expanded designation for the area that includes what are now called water hazards).

A player will be allowed to touch or move loose impediments and touch the ground with hand or club (such as grounding the club right behind the ball) for any reason, subject only to the prohibition on improving conditions for the stroke (see new Rule 8.1a).

Also, I'm pretty sure touching even one grain of sand is considered "grounding" the club under the old rules. That's what I was getting at initally, but it appears setting up with your club in the sand is okay under the new rules. That I did not know.

Nope. You can now ground your club in a water hazard, you can inadvertently touch the sand and remove loose impediments in a bunker, but you still can't ground your club in a bunker

2019 Rule: Under Rule 17:

There will no longer be any special restrictions when a ball is in a “penalty area” (the expanded designation for the area that includes what are now called water hazards).

A player will be allowed to touch or move loose impediments and touch the ground with hand or club (such as grounding the club right behind the ball) for any reason, subject only to the prohibition on improving conditions for the stroke (see new Rule 8.1a).

Also, I'm pretty sure touching even one grain of sand is considered "grounding" the club under the old rules. That's what I was getting at initally, but it appears setting up with your club in the sand is okay under the new rules. That I did not know.

Nope. You can now ground your club in a water hazard, you can inadvertently touch the sand and remove loose impediments in a bunker, but you still can't ground your club in a bunker

2019 Rule: Under Rule 17:

There will no longer be any special restrictions when a ball is in a “penalty area” (the expanded designation for the area that includes what are now called water hazards).

A player will be allowed to touch or move loose impediments and touch the ground with hand or club (such as grounding the club right behind the ball) for any reason, subject only to the prohibition on improving conditions for the stroke (see new Rule 8.1a).

Also, I'm pretty sure touching even one grain of sand is considered "grounding" the club under the old rules. That's what I was getting at initally, but it appears setting up with your club in the sand is okay under the new rules. That I did not know.

Yea, but it’s still a PITA to do all that and you don’t know what’s directly beneath your ball! ... which you can’t move or ground your club ... waste areas are not set up clean like bunkers which is filled with clean sand